By the year 2,000, it is predicted, energy demands will increase by approx. 200%. The people of the U.S. will depend increasingly on natural gas to supply greater and greater amounts of energy. A committee representing the natural gas industry has predicted that gas requirements in 1990 will be 36 trillion cu ft, more than double the amount consumed in 1966. The potential natural gas supply in the U.S. as of Dec. 31, 1966, is 690 trillion cu ft according to the Potential Gas Committee's latest published report. Adding the estimated potential supply of 690 trillion cu ft to the proved supplies of 293 trillion cu ft, gives a total of 983 trillion cu ft of gas potentially available for the domestic market. In addition to proved and potential reserves, technological advances probably will increase the ability to supply additional amounts of gas. Some possibilities include nuclear stimulation of low permeability formations. The gas total energy concept, the development of a liquefying process, the gas fuel cell and development projects now under way to convert coal into liquid and gas fuels which would burn cleaner than coal are factors which will keep natural gas a potent competitor in the energy market well into the 21st century. In the future, nuclear energy will become a major fuel.